More than 300 Hostess workers remain on strike in Biddeford

BIDDEFORD, Maine (NEWS CENTER) - More than 300 Hostess workers in Biddeford remain out of work and on strike.

The work stoppage is part of a nationwide effort against the Texas based baker by about 30-percent of it's workforce. Earlier this week the company closed 3 bakeries and the CEO is threatening to shut down the entire operation nationwide if the strike cripples it's business.

Instead of baking bread, rolls and cupcakes inside the Hostess Bakery in Biddeford, workers are lined up outside the gates walking a picket line.

Hostess is now going through Chapter 11 Bankruptcy and company officials say the workers must make concessions in order for the company to survive.

Workers say they can deal with some cuts to wages and benefits, but they say they won't stand for their pensions disappearing. The company stopped putting workers money into the fund last year, but workers say the company is still taking that money out of their pay.

"But they never gave us back the money. We're still paying $4.26 an hour to them and we don't even know what they're doing with it". said Rich Reardon, who has worked for the company more than 25-years.

Company officials in Texas say the deal offered to the workers is all they will be offered and if they don't accept it the whole company may shutdown leaving more than 18-thousand employees nationwide without work.